NCERT MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION CLASS – 12 | POLITICAL SCIENCE PART-A CONTEMPORARY WORLD POLITICS NCERT MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION | CHAPTER- 2 | THE END OF BIOPOLARITY | EDUGROWN |

In This Post we are  providing  CHAPTER 2 THE END OF BIOPOLARITY NCERT MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS for Class 12 POLITICAL SCIENCE PART- A CONTEMPORARY WORLD POLITICS which will be beneficial for students. These solutions are updated according to 2021-22 syllabus. These MCQS  can be really helpful in the preparation of Board exams and will provide you with a brief knowledge of the chapter.

NCERT MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS ON THE END OF BIOPOLARITY

Question 1.
What was the Soviet System? Assess any four features of the Soviet System.
Answer:
In October 1917 first Socialist Revolution took place in Russia. Bolshevik Revolution took place under the leadership of Lenin. The rule of the Czar was overthrown and a new government headed by Lenin was established. A new constitution was framed in 1918, again in 1924, and again in 1936. The system of government in the U.S.S.R. is generally known as the Soviet System of government. The Soviet system of economy was a planned economy and was managed on the basis of state flaws for economic and social development. The system of government in the U.S.S.R. is generally known as the Soviet System government. Following were the main features of the Soviet System of government:

1. The Soviet System was based on Communist Principles. Lenin and Stalin adjusted the communist philosophy to the needs of the country. Marxist philosophy was the guiding principle behind the Soviet Constitution.

2. The ‘Soviet’ system formed the basis of the political and constitutional organization of the U.S.S.R. The word ‘Soviet’ means a council consisting of the elected deputies or delegates or workers.

3. In the very first Article of the Stalin Constitution (1936), “The Union of Soviet Republic was described as a socialist state of workers and peasants.”

4. U.S.S.R. was a one-party state. The Communist Party occupied a pivotal position in the socio-political system of the Soviet Union. The Communist Party was the supreme guiding energy in the state. The Communist Party was the architect and defender of the socialist system in the U.S.S.R. as well as the guide and teacher of the people. No other party was allowed in the U.S.S.R.

5. Soviet System was based on the principle of ‘Democratic Centralism’. To quote Vyshinsky, “The Soviet Union State is built on the principle of democratic centralism sharply opposed to the bureaucratic centralism of the capitalist state.” This principle meant that all bodies of administration were elected and organised on democratic principles. The principle also meant that the lower body was responding to the higher body and the decision of the higher bodies was binding on the lower bodies.

6. The citizens of the U.S.S.R. were given a number of fundamental rights along with duties. Rights were given to the citizens with a view to strengthening the socialist system. In other words, rights must be in conformity with the interests of the working people.

Question 2.
Analyse any six factors which helped the Soviet Union in becoming a superpower after the Second World War.
Answer:
After the Second World War, the Soviet Union became a superpower and U.S.S.R. became a leader of the Socialist bloc. Following were the factors which helped the Soviet Union in becoming a superpower after the Second World War:

1. In U.S.S.R. the economy was planned and completely controlled by the state.
2. The Soviet Union had adequate natural resources.
3. It had modern means of transport and telecommunication.
4. Citizens of the Soviet Union enjoyed all basic needs for public life.
5. It had a powerful and large army.
6. It had nuclear weapons and the Soviet Union was a permanent member of U.N. Security Council.

Question 3.
Mention any six reasons responsible for the disintegration of the Soviet Union.
Answer:
The following were the main reasons for the disintegration of the former Soviet Union:

1. The Soviet system allowed only the Communist Party to exist in U.S.S.R. The Communist Party was regarded as ‘The Vanguard of the working people in their struggle to strengthen and develop the socialist system.’ No other party was allowed to exist in the Soviet Union.

2. The Soviet system became bureaucratic and authoritarian. The foes of socialism were ruthlessly dealt with. There was the dictatorship of the Communist Party.

3. In the Soviet Union, stress was more on social and economic rights than on political rights. There was no freedom of speech and expression. Any opinion expressed against the ‘Party line’ was deemed to be a matter of treason and hence severe punishment was inflicted.

4. In the Soviet system, federalism was adopted but the Union Republic of U.S.S.R. was completely under the control of the Communist Party. The Soviet federal structure was like a pyramid where the Communist
Party was the apex and controlled the primary organs of the party at the base.

5. The Soviet Union lagged behind the west in technology, infrastructure, etc.

6. The Soviet Union failed in fulfilling the political and economic aspirations of the citizens.

Question 4.
Describe the role of Gorbachev j to reform the Soviet System and the j effects of these reforms on the U.S.S.R
Answer:
Mikhail Gorbachev became the General Secretary of the General Party of the U.S.S.R. in 1985. He introduced political and economic reforms. Following factors forced Gorbachev to initiate reforms in the U.S.S.R.

1. The Soviet Union lagged behind the west in technology, infrastructure, etc.
2. The Soviet System was authoritarian. There was rampant corruption in the administration and people were alienated from the government. Citizens were not happy with the political system.
3. Communist Party controlled the government and all institutions and was not responsible to the people. There was neither any opposition party nor any democratic values.
4. The Soviet Union failed in fulfilling the political and economic aspirations of the citizens.
5. The invasion of Afghanistan weakened the Soviet Union both economically and politically.

Gorbachev sought to reform this system. He introduced economic and political reform policies of Perestroika (restructuring) and glasnost (openness). These reforms were necessary to keep the Soviet Union abreast of information and technological revolutions.

Although power and privileges were declining, Gorbachev applied the policies into haste. As a result, it lost popular support. Due to this, the people of East European Countries started to protest against their own governments and Soviet control. This process was accompanied by a rapidly escalating crisis within the Soviet Union that has to end its disintegration.

As there was an internal struggle within the Soviet Union due to the rise of nationalism by the small states that were ethically diverse. It thus led to the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the collapse of the socialist system. The disintegration of the Soviet Union means the emergence of many newly independent countries All the 15 Union Republics of the U.S.S.R. has become independent states. Each country has its own political aspirations. Some of them, especially the Baltic and the East European States, joined the European Union and became members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).

Question 5.
Examine India’s changing: relationship with Post-Communist Russia.
Answer:
After the disintegration of the U.S.S.R. in December 1991, Russia emerged as the legal successor state of the former superpower in world politics. Russian President Yeltsin assured the Indian Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao that Russia’s relationship and co-operation with India would continue. In early 1992, India and Russia took the first firm step to rebuild economic relations. The decision to end Rupee trade and to switch over to hard currencies was taken. Russia also favoured strategic co-operation with India. Russia also decided to supply another three million tonnes of oil to India in 1993.

Visit of Russian President Boris Yeltsin. In the last week of January 1993, Russian President Boris Yeltsin visited India. President Yeltsin announced that Russia would support India in the United Nations’ Security Council on the Kashmir issue. India and Russia agreed to coordinate their activities and exchange information and experience to combat different manifestations of terrorism, organised crime and illegal arms trade. The signing of a new Treaty of Friendship and co-operation was designed to guide the path of Indo-Russian relations in the next 20 years.

P.M. Narasimha Rao’s visit to Russia. In June 1994, the then P.M. Narasimha Rao visited Russia. The visit produced two significant declarations and nine agreements. Both the countries denounced the efforts to weaken the unity of pluralisation of states through religious extremism.

Russian P.M.’s Visit to India. In December 1994 the Russian Prime Minister visited India and during his visit, India and Russia signed 8 agreements covering such vital areas as defence, technology and space exploration. Russia assured India that it has no desire to supply arms to Pakistan.

India, Russia Sign N-Pact. On 21st June 1998, in a far-reaching nuclear deal, India and Russia signed an accord for construction of two 1000 MW light-water nuclear power reactors at Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu.

In March 2000, Vladimir Putin was elected as the President of Russia. On April 15, 2000, President Putin ratified an extradition treaty with India aimed at curbing terrorism. A senior Russian atomic energy official called for recognition of India and Pakistan as nuclear-weapon states. On June 28, 2000, India and Russia decided to set up a commission on Military- Technical Co-operation to impart greater impetus to defence ties and accelerate decision-making. India agreed to buy $ 1 billion worth of Russian arms. On June 29, 2000, India and Russia signed a number of agreements on Indo-Russian defence co-operation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India. On 2nd October 2000, President Putin visited India. India and Russia forged a strategic partnership that proposes structured co-operation in the fields of nuclear sciences, defence, space and fights against international terrorism, separatism, religious extremism, organised crime and illegal drug trafficking. India and Russia signed 10 agreements to enhance their bilateral ties in various fields. On October 4, 2000, a new era dawned in the Indo- Russian defence ties with the two countries signing multi-billion dollar agreements for sale of armaments. They also decided to set up an Inter-governmental Commission on defence and technical co-operation.

Accord on Terrorism. Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee visited Moscow in November 2001. India and Russia signed the far-reaching Moscow Declaration on international terrorism declaring that the struggle against this scourge had become one of the priority tasks of the world community. The two sides reaffirmed the central role of the United Nations in the efforts of the international community in the struggle against terrorism.

Defence Agreement. On 20th January 2004, India and Russia signed the historic and their biggest ever defence deal of almost? 7,000 crore. The defence ministers said that the military and technical co-operation between India and Russia has reached a higher level.

Visit of Russian President (December 2004): Russian President Vladimir Putin visited India in Dec. 2004. India and Russia moved closer vowing to reconcile their positions on two contentious issues of Russian entry into the W.T.O. and New Delhi according to market economy status to Moscow. The two countries signed 10 agreements and Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen bilateral co-operation in banking, energy, space exploration, navigation and visa sectors. Russian President supported India’s candidature for a permanent seat in U.N. Security Council with Veto Power.

Visit of Indian Prime Minister to Moscow (December 2005). Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh visited Moscow on December 6, 2005. Moscow agreed to help India in acquiring the latest nuclear energy generation technology to meet the country’s growing power requirements. India and Russia identified three key areas—nuclear energy, defence and trade and industry—to give special attention to while transforming their buyer-seller relationship into one that aims at joint planning and manufacture of high technology arms and armaments.

Russian Doctrine gives Top Priority to ties with India. Russia’s new foreign policy concept displayed on the Russian President’s website on July 15, 2008, says: “In deepening the strategic partnership with India, Russia pursues the principled policy towards stronger interaction on burning international problems and all-round strengthening of mutually beneficial relations in all spheres especially in achieving a substantial uplift in commercial and economic ties.” In December 2008, Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed an agreement concerning Uranium.

Russia will help India in setting up four additional nuclear plants at Kudankulam, where two plants are already functioning with Russian help.

Visit of Indian Prime Minister to Moscow (December 2009). Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh visited Moscow in Dec. 2009. During his visit, both countries signed a Comprehensive Civil Nuclear Pact.

Visit of Russian President (December 2010). Russian President Dmitry Medvedev visited India on December 21, 2010. India and Russia demonstrated to the world why their relationship was so special. The two countries signed a record 29 deals, including one on joint designing and development of the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) and another for jointly undertaking projects in the oil and gas sector in India, Russia or a Third Country. The Russian President endorsed India’s candidature for a permanent UN Security Council seat and also promised to support India’s quest to become a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, MTCR and the Wassenaar Arrangement.

Visit of Russian President (December 2012). Russian President Vladimir Putin visited India in Dec. 2012. Setting aside their differences over civil nuclear co-operation, India and Russia signed two key defence deals worth about? 25,000 crore. The two countries also inked other agreements in fields, such as space, trade and investment, science and technology, education and culture, reinforcing the strong dynamos of their time tested friendship.

Visit of Indian Prime Minister to Russia (October 2013). On 21st October 2013, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Russia. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Russian President Putin directed officials to resolve Kodaikalnal nuclear power plant issues. Both leaders observed that defence cooperation is a crucial element in the strategic partnership and decided to enhance cooperation in the field of rocket, missile, naval technologies and weapon systems.

The two leaders also discussed cooperation in the field of terrorism and looked at ways to enhance trade and investment among other subjects. The two leaders affirmed their commitment to the Agreement of Cooperation in the Use of Atomic Energy for peaceful purposes and the road map for the social construction of the Russian designed Nuclear Power Plants in India.

Visit of Russian President to India. In December 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited India. During this visit, both countries signed 20 important agreements.

In Dec. 2015, Indian P.M. Sh. Narendra Modi visited Russia. During this visit, both countries signed 16 agreements.

In October 2016, Russian President to Vladimir Putin visited India. During this, both countries signed 16 agreement.

In June 2017 Indian Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi visited Russia. During this visit, both countries signed 5 important agreements.

In October 2018, Russian President visited India. During this visit, both countries signed 8 important agreements.

In September 2019, Indian Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi visited Russia. During this visit, both countries signed 15 agreements.

The friendly relations between India and Russia have achieved a new level of privileged strategic partnership.

Question 6.
Highlight any three positive and three negative features each of the Soviet System in the Soviet Union.
Answer:
Positive Features:

1. The planned economy was adopted in U.S.S.R. The economy of the state was managed on the basis of state plans for the economy and social developments.
2. In the Soviet Union, all economic activities were controlled by the state. All industries were nationalised.
3. In the Soviet Union, there was no private economy all means of production and distribution were owned and controlled by the state.

Negative Features:

1. The Soviet system allowed only the Communist Party to exist in U.S.S.R. The Communist Party was regarded as ‘the Vanguard of the working people in their struggle to strengthen and develop the socialist system’. No other party was allowed to exist in the Soviet Union.
2. The Soviet system became very bureaucratic and authoritarian. The foes of socialism were ruthlessly dealt with. There was the dictatorship of the Communist Party.
3. In the Soviet Union, stress was more on social and economic rights than on political rights. There was no freedom of speech and expression. Any opinion expressed against the ‘Party line’ was deemed to be a matter of treason and hence punished with severity.

Question 7.
Highlight any three major consequences of ‘Shock Therapy’ in the Post Communist Regimes.
Answer:
With the disintegration of the Soviet Union, there was a collapse of communism. After the collapse of communism, the process of change in these countries started from an authoritarian socialist system to a democratic capitalist system. The model of transition in Russia, Central Asia and East Europe that was influenced by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund came to be known as ‘Shock Therapy’. Though the ‘Shock Therapy’ differs in intensity and speed amongst former communist countries, its direction and features were quite common.

Consequences of Shock Therapy: Following are the consequences of Shock Therapy.

1. Each of these countries had to make a total change from a socialist economy to a capitalist economy.
2. Each of these countries had to adopt private ownership as a dominate pattern of ownership of property.
3. All these countries had to privatise of all state assets and establish corporate ownership patterns.
4. Collective farming was replaced by capitalist (private) farming.

Question 8.
Look at the given cartoon and Answer: the following questions:

(a) The cartoon refers to which treaty?

Answer:
Indo-Soviet Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation, 1971.

(b) How can we say that we were non-aligned even after signing this treaty with the Soviet Union?
Answer:
Even after signing the treaty of peace, friendship and cooperation, India remained a non-aligned country.

(c) Why was this treaty signed?
Answer:
Indo-Soviet friendship was signed to counteract the rival forces of India such as Pakistan.

Question 9.
Give any three examples to show that most of the former Soviet Republic were prone to conflict and tension.
Answer:
The disintegration of the Soviet Union took place in 1991. There were 15 Union Republics (states) in the former U.S.S.R. Most of the former Soviet Republics were prone to conflicts and many Republics witnessed civil wars and insurgencies.

1. In Russia, Two Republics viz, Chechnya and Dagestan, witnessed violent secessionist movements. Moscow tried to suppress the movements. However, even indiscriminate military bombings failed to deter the aspirations for independence.
2. In Central Asia, Tajikistan witnessed a long- drawn Civil War that continued for a decade till 2001.
3. There were frequent conflicts in this region. Nagorno-Karabakh, in the province of Azerbaijan desire to secede and join Armenia.
4. The two provinces led to civil war in Georgia to attain independence. This hampered the life of the ordinary citizens creating hardships.
5. There were movements against the existing regimes in Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan and Georgia. Soviet Republics were fighting over issues such as river water, etc.
6. The Central Asian Republics are rich in hydrocarbon resources thus, this area has become economically demanding. As a result, it has become a bone of contention between the outside power, oil companies and the neighbouring countries.

Question 10.
Read the passage given below carefully and Answer the following questions:

Each of these countries was required to make a total shift to a capitalist economy, which meant rooting out completely any structures evolved during this period. Above all, it meant that private ownership was to be the dominant pattern of ownership of property. Privatization of state assets and corporate ownership patterns were to be immediately brought in. Collective farms were to be replaced by private farming and capitalism in agriculture. This transition ruled out any alternate or third way’

(i) Name any two countries which were required to make a total shift.
Answer:
Russia, Kazakistan.

(ii) Why were the collective farms to be replaced by private farming?
Answer:
Collective farms to be replaced by private farming, because the disintegration of Soviet bloc, and therefore each country related to the Soviet bloc, was required to make a total shift to a capitalist economy.

(iii) Since the ‘third way’ had been ruled out, what were the only two ways of controlling the economy?
Answer:
State-controlled socialism and capitalism.